HARTFORD -- The state's on-time high school graduation rate inched up in 2013, thanks in large part to increases in the number of black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students who collected diplomas in four years.

Statewide, the percentage of students in the Class of 2013 who graduated in four years rose to 85.5 percent, a 0.07 percent increase over the Class of 2012 At the same time, the graduation rate for black students rose to 75.7 percent, an increase of 2.7 percent; the Hispanic graduation rate went up to 70.2 percent, a 1.6 percent increase; and 68.6 percent of students eligible for a free school lunch graduated, a 2 percent boost from 2012.

Since 2010, the graduation rate for all students has gone up 3.7 percent.

"By focusing on our highest-need districts and partnering with our system's stakeholders, we are closing Connecticut's graduation gap and increasing our overall graduation rate," Pryor said at a news conference.

Malloy, who is running for re-election, has focused a good deal of his first term on education reform, some of which has drawn heavy criticism from educators unhappy with changes in the teacher evaluation process and parents unhappy with curriculum changes and testing associated with the state's new Common Core State Standards.

"Four consecutive years of increases in the graduation rate is a great thing, one for which all of our teachers should be proud," said Malloy.

It is the second time in a week that Pryor and Malloy have appeared together to share positive education news. Last week, the same 12th-graders that managed to graduate in greater numbers on time also outscored peers in every other state in reading, with 50 percent demonstrating proficiency on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. That same report found that nationwide, just 38 to 39 percent of seniors graduated ready for entry-level college courses in math and English.

Locally, Bridgeport, Stratford, Oxford and Trumbull saw increases, as did Bridge Academy, a charter school based in Bridgeport. Most other districts in the region saw marginal declines while Derby's graduation rate for 2013 fell more than 10 percentage points to 64.8 percent. Derby officials did not return calls for comment.

At Bridge Academy, where the graduation rate jumped from 76.2 to 88.6 percent in a year, Tim Dutton, a teacher and school founder, said the school has paid more attention to its special education population, is providing more tutoring and two years ago hired a guidance counselor to work with students who struggle.

"It is beginning to pay off," Dutton said, adding that he is also OK with students who graduate within a five-year time frame.

"Some kids need more time," he said.

This year, along with four-year graduation rates, the state released a five-year graduation rate that shows that for the Class of 2012, the extra year allowed 2.7 percent more students to collect diplomas, bringing the graduation rate for that class to 87.5 percent.

In Bridgeport, Interim Schools Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz said she was happy the rate is headed in the right direction -- from 66.3 to 67.3 percent across the district -- but considers the fact that one-third of students in Bridgeport are not graduating on time totally unacceptable.

"We all know that high school graduation is a basic step to success in life." Rabinowitz said. "Without a high school diploma, it is virtually impossible to make a living to support oneself, and certainly not a family."

The increase in Bridgeport was due largely to Bassick High, where the graduation rate increased from 47.9 to 59.2 percent. Bassick Principal Wayne Alexander said it is not due to a softening of standards.

"We are increasing our academic rigor in the classroom, differentiating our instructional practices and addressing the personalized learning needs of all students," Alexander said. "I think all of these things combined, as well as our increased recognition for students that excel academically, have contributed to our increased graduation rate."

In Stratford, where the graduation rate rose two percentage points to 88.6 percent, Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson said the big difference was at Bunnell High School, which pulled out ahead of crosstown rival Stratford High with a 94.1 percent graduation rate in 2013. In 2012 it was 87.3 percent.

"I think we are starting to see the results of a guidance program we put into place," said Robinson, who came to the district a year ago from Newtown. The goal, she added, is to make graduates college and career ready.

"We know that students who do not graduate from high school have a low probability of leading decent and productive lives. A remarkably high percentage of the state's prison population is composed of high school dropouts," Cirasuolo said.